By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 30-year-old salesman was fatally shot in front of his partner and her daughter on the night of March 17 in City Proper, Iloilo City.
Raniel Lazaro from Barangay Villa Anita succumbed to three gunshot wounds to his chest, abdomen, and back.
Police said Lazaro was enjoying drinks with his partner, Janelle, at a local store around 9:55 p.m. when the assailant, described as around 5’3” with a medium build, wearing a grey hoodie and red shorts, confronted him.
After inquiring about his name, the man reportedly shot Lazaro several times before fleeing the scene. CCTV footage captured the suspect escaping on a motorcycle with an accomplice.
Lazaro was rushed to Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital but unfortunately did not survive.
Janelle noted that Lazaro had received a death threat the previous month related to an alleged theft at his workplace. He was employed by Triple 5 Global Distribution Inc., distributing Kopiko products.
Captain Roque Gimeno III of Iloilo City Police Station 1 described Lazaro as a commendable worker with no known issues at work, suggesting there might be a different motive for the murder.
“There could be other possible motives behind the killing,” he said.
The investigation is also exploring Lazaro’s romantic ties with Janelle, who had previously cohabitated with a man named Carlo, now incarcerated at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility.
Police are considering whether Lazaro’s involvement in basketball game betting might have antagonized certain individuals.
